Waiting for You
by FanofBellaandEdward
Summary: It's Naruto's birthday today and while he appreciates his friends' gifts, he can only think of one thing he'd like to have as a gift. But that's impossible to get, right? Naruto's pov; set two years after the war; some angst; hint of slash


**Author's note: I've written this oneshot in celebration of Naruto's birthday - it's been a while since I last wrote so much in one sitting LOL But my precious blond deserves it! (I hope I'm still on time with this *sweatdrops*)**

 **Warnings: Naruto's pov; set two years after the war, but doesn't follow the Last; some foul language; a bit of angst; a hint of slash**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

 **I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

 **Waiting for You**

His nineteenth birthday started with soft rain. Eyelids slowly fluttered open and blue eyes – hooded with sleep – stared blankly out of the window. The glass was blurred with thin streams of rain, starting from the top and sliding down the window until it pooled together at the bottom. The sky was dark, heavy with grey clouds.

Well, it _was_ the tenth of October; rain was to be expected when autumn had been present for nearly a month already.

A soft, satisfied groan escaped him when he stretched his arms and then his entire body, feeling and hearing his back pop. A loud yawn was half arsed hidden behind his hand and he scratched his stomach underneath his shirt, his nails raking over his seal. He swung his legs out of the bed, a light shiver going through him at the sensation of the cold floor against his warm feet, and he padded over to the bathroom to take a leak and wash his face.

Wash up done, he shuffled into the kitchen – or well, more accurately the part of his apartment that served as a kitchen – and took a bowl out of the cupboard to fill it with cereal. Before he added the milk, he sniffed at the carton to determine how fresh it was – having his bowels protest fiercely once was more than enough. Snatching a recently cleaned glass from the sink, he filled it with some orange juice and plopped down at the small table with his breakfast, pulling the newspaper of yesterday towards him. Sure, it was old news by now, but who cared? He certainly didn't.

It did not take long for him to finish his breakfast. Casting one more disinterested glance at the newspaper, he stood up, brought his bowl, spoon and glass to the sink and threw the paper into a box; making a mental note to throw that box out soon.

"All right," Naruto muttered, zipping his orange jacket shut over his white shirt. He was dressed casually today; he had no missions lined up and so there was no need for him to wear his black jacket and orange trousers. Sakura had made it more than clear to him a couple of months ago that he really needed other outfits.

" _At least choose something else to wear on days that you don't have any missions!"_ she had sighed exasperatedly.

As he wasn't particularly interested in getting whacked around the head for not listening to her – and man, those slaps _hurt_ with her crazy monster strength! – he had gone to one of the few clothing stores available in Konoha and had selected a loose orange jacket with a hood and loose black trousers which he could tighten around his waist with drawstrings. Sakura had complained that he was once again wearing orange, but really, did she expect anything else?

Resting his hands on his hips, he stared at himself in the mirror, noting absentmindedly that his hair was starting to grow out again. He had got it cut quite short a few months ago, but he had almost instantly regretted his new hairstyle. Short hair just wasn't him. Not only did it make him look significantly older – a fact that his friends gleefully remarked upon every time he saw them – but it didn't feel right either. It made him feel _naked_. It felt like something was missing.

Just like …

Anyway, what was he going to do today on his birthday?

 _As a start you can stop admiring yourself in the mirror_ , Kurama snipped, burrowing his snout between his two front paws.

 _Someone is not a morning person_ , Naruto retorted cheekily and was rewarded with a large paw pushing him over, making him land in the ankle deep water.

 _Get going, kid_ , Kurama grunted, closing his eyes.

Naruto chuckled and put his hands behind his head, giving himself one last look over. _All right, I'm going._

Not that he really knew what he was going to do today. Ah well, he might as well visit Iruka-sensei. It had been a while after all.

* * *

"Don't even think of finishing that gesture, Tsukasa!" Iruka-sensei snapped at an orange haired boy, who quickly tucked his hands into his pockets with a scowl before he kicked against a pebble and sauntered away, leaving a laughing purple haired boy behind.

"It's good to see you don't change, Iruka-sensei," Naruto grinned, sidling up next to the older man.

Brown eyes lit up and a smile spread across the kind hearted man's face. "Someone has to keep them in line," he said. "I distinctly remember a certain blond brat causing me a lot of trouble."

The blond in question smiled sheepishly and scratched the bridge of his nose. "Ehehe, sorry for that, but I turned out quite well, didn't I?"

"Depends on your definition of 'well'," Iruka-sensei retorted dryly, before squeezing Naruto's neck. "Happy birthday, Naruto."

"You remembered!" Naruto's face lit up in happiness.

"Of course I did," Iruka-sensei snorted. "I wouldn't forget an important day like this. I'll take you out for ramen tonight. My treat."

"Yosh! Best birthday present I could ask for!" Naruto crowed, already nearly salivating at the thought of the bowls of ramen he would get to eat tonight. There was no better and more delicious food than ramen.

"Figured you would," Iruka-sensei chuckled before his face darkened and he strode over to a pair of three boys who were rolling over the ground, kicking up dust, as they threw punches and kicks at each other. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Yep, time for me to go," Naruto muttered and winced, already feeling sorry for the boys. An angry Iruka-sensei was not a pleasant sight.

He left the school – waving in parting to a couple of the children who had taken notice of him – and decided to wander through the village. Maybe he would find something interesting there. What did one do when there were no missions? Back when he was still a child, he would have been out, playing pranks on unsuspecting villagers, but he couldn't do that now. Well, he supposed he could, but one he had worked hard to gain the villagers' respect and two, Sakura would definitely punch him straight into Suna if she found him.

He shuddered and turned around the corner right into the busiest shopping street and stuck his hands into his pockets. The rain had lightened up, turning into a light drizzle that coated his hair and jacket with tiny raindrops. The clouds still looked heavy with rain, though, so he didn't think the weather would turn nice any time soon.

"Ah, Naruto!"

He whipped his head around and smiled when he saw Ino standing in front of the flower shop her parents owned, with a basket overflowing with white flowers held in her arms. "Ino!" he greeted and approached her, coming to stand under the plastic cover protecting the flowers standing outside from rain and heavy sunlight. "How're you doing?"

"Fine, been helping out my parents with the shop since my dad twisted his ankle a few days ago," she replied and rolled her eyes; her long blonde hair swishing back and forth in her ponytail as she shook her head in fond exasperation. She placed the basket on the table next to her, shoving the other baskets a bit more to the right, and faced him again with a smirk, which immediately put him on high alert. A smirking Ino was never a good sign – that much he knew.

"What?" he asked warily.

"Come on, I've got a present for your birthday," she said, beckoning him to follow her inside the shop.

"A present?" he repeated surprised. A bell rang somewhere in the back of the shop when he walked through the door. "You don't have to do that!"

"Oh, shut up!" She clucked her tongue, making her way effortlessly through the shop, even though many flowers and plants were practically overflowing onto the pathways. "It's your birthday, why shouldn't I give you a present?"

"Well, if you insist," he chuckled, taking care not to step on the protruding leaves and stems of flowers as he wandered after her.

He hovered in front of the counter as she rummaged underneath it, pushing boxes and baskets out of her way. She came up again with a triumphant smile, holding a small, white box in her hands. "Here, happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Ino!" Blue eyes regarded the box curiously when he accepted it. It felt – not really heavy, but not that light either. What was inside it?

"Go on, open it," Ino huffed, leaning her elbows on the counter.

"I'm opening it, I'm opening it," Naruto muttered and carefully removed the lid, blinking bemused when he saw the content. Confusion littering his voice, he asked, "Ne, Ino? What exactly is this?"

The box contained several coloured balls; an array of soft pink, bright red, pale yellow, dark purple, light blue and grass green colours greeted him. The balls emitted a faint, flowery perfume and he found himself holding the box closer to his nose so that he could smell the aroma better. Whatever those balls were, they smelt really good.

"Those are bath bombs, Naruto," Ino explained, looking at him as if he really should have known that already. "When you put those in your bathwater, they release a nice scent and they each have specific healing properties. Like this one, for example," she pointed at the soft pink ball, "this one will help you soothe tired muscles. The yellow one will alleviate headaches; the purple one helps if you have a cold; the blue one when you have really sore muscles and the green one helps if you want to relax completely. I figured that you could get some use of them because you have had a lot of difficult missions lately and we don't want our hero too tired, right?" She winked and laughed.

"Thanks, Ino," he grinned, grateful for the present. Being a Jinchuuriki helped a lot when it came to being hurt, but he had to admit that there was some appeal in being able to relax with just some nice scents. He poked curiously at the red coloured bath bomb, realising that she hadn't told him the property of this one. "And the red one? What does that one do?"

The absolutely wolfish smirk on her face made him stiffen up and instantly regret ever asking that question. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut?

"That one? Well, Naruto, that one will definitely offer that little extra when you take a bath with the person you like," she purred; her pale blue eyes shining brightly in amusement.

Yep, he definitely regretted asking that question. He felt his face turn fire red as the implication of what she meant sank through completely and he hastily put the lid back on the box.

"Right, thanks, Ino, for the present!" he squeaked and practically fled out of the shop, leaving a chortling Ino behind.

He would never learn, would he?

* * *

He was still blushing fiercely when he encountered both Shikamaru and Chouji coming out of a bookstore.

"Naruto? You all right?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Yeah, no worries," Naruto replied, waving away his friend's concern. "What are you guys up to?"

"The bookstore was our last stop before we have to leave on our mission," Shikamaru explained and Chouji nodded before shovelling a handful of crisps inside his mouth.

"What kind of mission?" Naruto inquired curiously.

"A troublesome one," the spiky haired man immediately replied and sighed. "The Hokage sends us to Suna for some more talks. So annoying."

"Say hello to Gaara for me, would you?" Naruto asked, realising it had been a while since he last saw his red haired friend. Maybe his next mission would bring him near Suna so that he could drop by for a visit.

"Will do," Chouji muttered, throwing the empty bag of crisps in a nearby trashcan. "Ah, Naruto, when we're back, we're going to celebrate your birthday with Korean barbecue, all right?"

"Sounds great!" the blond retorted enthusiastically. He was always up for a meal spent with his friends. "Is it just you two for the mission?"

"No, Sai is joining us as well," Shikamaru answered, scratching the back of his head. "As extra precaution, though I doubt we're going to need it. Anyway, see you later, Naruto, and happy birthday."

"See you later," Naruto chuckled and his two friends gave him one last wave before making their way to the gate.

At least their gift wasn't as embarrassing as Ino's.

* * *

Lunch was spent with Tsunade, who had snatched him right off the street when he passed by the pub. She had been well on her way to getting drunk – not being Hokage anymore allowed her more leeway when it came to consuming sake – but she still had been coherent enough to wish him a happy birthday and gift him with an expensive bottle of high quality sake. He had never been a fan of alcohol, but he appreciated the gift all the same.

When he left the pub a few hours later, she was musing about joining the poker game taking place a few tables further. It was much safer for his wallet if he didn't join her; she wasn't exactly known for having much luck when it came to betting after all.

* * *

He spent the rest of the day wandering through the village in a futile search for something interesting to occupy him. Konohamaru and his team members had left on a mission two days ago and weren't due to come back for another three days at the very least. Kiba, Shino and Hinata had left on a mission as well, though Hanabi – Hinata's little sister – had given him Hinata's birthday gift, which turned out to be a warm, dark blue sweater.

He had never been close to Tenten and Rock Lee was seen racing around the village while Maito Gai bellowed encouragement at him from his wheelchair – well, what his version of encouragement was anyway. He liked Rock Lee, but as he wasn't particularly in the mood to listen to his heartfelt speeches on the spring of youth, he didn't join him.

That left him with nothing to do for the rest of the day and it made him realise that he really needed to come up with a new hobby. There would come a day when he wouldn't have missions lined up anymore and doing nothing all day would drive him mad, of that he was sure.

The dark clouds had never left and they made it easier for the darkness to fall. Soon he found himself wandering around the streets, while the streetlamps slowly sprang into existence, illuminating the streets.

In a last attempt to dispel the boredom and spent the remaining time at least somewhat usefully before he had to meet Iruka-sensei at the ramen stand, he walked to the Hokage office, figuring it was his right as ex-student to bother Kaka-sensei.

Even after being Hokage for nearly two years, the silver haired man would forever be Kaka-sensei in the Jinchuuriki's mind. Calling him by his official title just felt too weird and fortunately, the older man was of the same opinion.

On his way to the office he encountered a haggard looking Sakura, who had just enough time to push his gift into his hands and shout a "Happy birthday, Naruto!" before she was rushing back to the clinic. Since a year she had been working on a new project where the medic nin tried to heal the mental scars left behind by the way and she had been busy ever since. Being in charge of a whole new department while still doing rounds in the hospital would make everyone exhausted and the blond hoped that his pink haired friend would take the time to really rest soon. Her patients wouldn't be helped if she collapsed of exhaustion after all.

Her gift was a small bag which contained several types of medicine shaped into dark brown balls and while he really appreciated the thought – and was happy that she had remembered his birthday – he could remember all too vividly the disaster that had been her earlier attempts at creating food pills. He really didn't want a repeat of that.

Grimacing he continued his trek, figuring that he would just stash the bag somewhere deep into his closet at home. If he was lucky Sakura would forget about it and never ask him what he thought of it.

"Enter." Kakashi's voice sounded clearly through the closed door when Naruto knocked on it.

"Heeey, Kaka-sensei," he called out with a grin and slipped inside the round room. A room that was nearly as familiar to him as his own apartment.

The silver haired man grunted in acknowledgement and his one visible eye was scowling heavily at the paperwork clenched into his hand.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" Kakashi asked absentmindedly, putting his seal on the bottom of the paper.

Naruto shrugged half-heartedly, trailing his eyes over the sparse few pictures decorating the walls as he shuffled closer to the desk. "Oh nothing. Just a bit bored I guess."

"You know, a lot of people would enjoy their time off," Kakashi pointed out dryly. He paused and continued wryly, " _I_ would certainly enjoy some time off from this blasted paperwork."

"I know, I know," Naruto sighed and plopped down on the chair in front of the desk, swinging his legs over the arm. "I just need to figure out a new hobby I guess."

"Your birthday not going as splendidly as you had hoped?" Kakashi inquired casually; his eye trained on a scroll.

"You remembered?" Naruto looked at him surprised.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kakashi replied mildly. "Don't have a gift, though. Haven't had the time yet with this paperwork. Unless you want to take over?" Hope lingered in his voice.

"Nah, you're doing a great job with it," Naruto grinned, sticking out his tongue.

The older man shook his head mournfully. "There was once a time when you three had respect for me."

"Time changes," Naruto shot back, but the mention of 'three' had him sitting up straight. "Did you … you know, hear from him?" He licked his lips and his mouth felt dry all of a sudden. The strings of his trousers became really interesting when he felt a heavy gaze aimed at him and he started fiddling with them.

Butterflies fluttered wildly in his stomach.

"No, I haven't," Kakashi replied after a short silence and he sounded apologetic, which made Naruto flush in embarrassment. "Don't think he'll show up any time soon, I'm afraid."

"Well, no news is good news, right?" Naruto smiled, but even he knew it was too weak to be meaningful.

Kakashi sighed and leant back in his chair. "Naruto, you …"

"Ah, look at that time!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at a random spot at the wall. "If I don't hurry, I'll be late for my meeting with Iruka-sensei and he promised to treat me to ramen. See you later, Kaka-sensei!"

He fled before the older man could say anything in reply.

* * *

Not even Iruka-sensei's reassurance that he could eat as much ramen as he wanted – and didn't it suck to realise that that offer was probably made because Naruto looked like shit and his former teacher felt sorry for him? – could bring him in higher spirits. He did his best to appear normal, but Iruka-sensei was one of the few people who knew him well and his look told the blond that he wasn't fooled.

It only made the shame burn that much harder in him.

He had managed to talk to several of his friends today – and that didn't happen often, because of their missions – had received various presents – more than he usually did – and he was being treated to his favourite food, so by all accounts he should be really happy now. Hell, it was more than he had had when he was still a stupid kid.

And yet he was selfish and wanted more.

Wanted something entirely else than he had got today.

Something he wasn't going to have.

Maybe never.

Why couldn't he just be happy with what he had now?

* * *

The moon was already shining brightly, casting its silver rays over the village, when he entered his apartment. He had spent a few hours at the ramen stand with Iruka-sensei before he had finally decided to just end the day and go home. Tomorrow was a new day after all.

New beginning and all that shit.

With a sigh he locked his door and turned around –

Only to yelp in fright when he saw a person seemingly separating itself from the shadows.

"What the fuck?" he barked, clasping a hand to his chest where his heart was thundering madly. "Couldn't you knock on the door like a normal person, bastard?"

Black eyes glinted in dark amusement. "Don't be so distracted then. You're supposed to be a shinobi, idiot. One of the strongest ones if we listen to rumours."

"I was …" Naruto floundered, flailing his arms around in search for an excuse as to why he hadn't noticed Sasuke waiting in his apartment. Since the war he sort of had at least some sort of clue where his best friend was wandering around and the few times Sasuke had visited the village before, he had always known it as soon as the man set one foot inside. Not even noticing the presence of chakra in his own apartment really was not one of his brightest moments so far. Damn it, he had been more distracted than he thought. This would teach him to –

Wait, Sasuke was _here_.

Here as in Konoha. Here as in his apartment.

"You're here. You're actually here," Naruto said in disbelief, stumbling closer to the other man, who was standing immobile in front of Naruto's bed.

"Yes, I am. Did it finally get through your skull?" Sasuke drawled, staring at the blond with piercing eyes. "Turning older made you slower on the uptake, I see. And here I had high hopes for you after seeing you fighting in the war."

"Shut up, bastard," was Naruto's automatic reply and then he was standing right in front of Sasuke. So close he could feel his body heat. So close he could feel Sasuke's cool breath hitting his face. So close he could inhale Sasuke's scent – a scent that would always put him more at ease, make him feel more at home, relax him better than Ino's bath bombs ever could, settle him better than anything else in the entire world. "I just – I didn't expect to see you today. Kaka-sensei said he hadn't received any news from you, so I thought …"

"He doesn't know about it," Sasuke interrupted him. "I didn't tell anybody I was coming here."

"So not even Sakura-chan knows you're here?" Naruto asked distracted; the majority of his attention was snatched by Sasuke getting rid of his tattered, grey poncho and his sword.

"No, I only came here for one thing."

The butterflies were back. With a vengeance this time. "And that is?" Naruto inquired, mouth dry. His fingers positively itched with the desire to reach out and touch Sasuke's arm.

A smile – one of those rare, genuine ones that Naruto had only seen appear a couple of times before – curled Sasuke's mouth up and he reached out with his remaining hand, touching Naruto's cheek lightly – so lightly it felt like the wings of a butterfly caressing his skin – before stepping closer and murmuring, "Happy birthday, usuratonkachi."

Naruto's view of the bright moon was obstructed completely when Sasuke closed the remaining distance between them.

And then he finally knew how that smile – that genuine, bright smile – felt on his skin.

This, Naruto decided, when he closed his own arms around Sasuke, was definitely the best birthday gift he had ever received.

Waiting for it had definitely been worth it.

* * *

 **AN2: This was an idea I came up with on the fly after realising which day it was today *drops down* I hope it didn't suck too badly *winces***

 **Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.**

 **Cuddles**

 **Melissa**

 **P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


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